This is how the Story Begins
by Kitten Moo
Summary: Merging the new series and the old together....my way.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Okay we all know the drill, these characters don't belong to me, and I'm just using them for my own amusement.  
  
Author Notes: I was really disappointed with the end of the old series and the fact that I would never read any more of the tales of my favorite Gen13- ers or 'Mongolian BBQ Horde' so I decided to write this thingy.  
  
Okay a bit of explaining is in order so here we go; this takes place some time (roughly 5 months) after Gen13 #77 and during the first issue of the new Gen13. So that means that all of the original Gen13-ers are still gone except for Caitlin who is living in Brooklyn with the York family.  
  
Out of all the new Gen13 characters I'm only planning on having the York brothers (Ethan and Dylan), because they are the only ones I really like. So lets just disregard any other references to the other characters okay? It makes it a whole lot easier.  
  
Okay I think I've covered everything without giving crap away..so on with the show.  
  
This is How the Story Begins, Part 1  
  
By starched_undergarments  
Nate, or Captain Bitterness as his friends dubbed him, was not one to ask for help or to talk about his 'feelings' so when he awoke from his slumber covered in a cold sweat gasping for air he immediately dismissed any ideas of waking one of his team mates in order to gain peace of mind.  
  
Instead he laid there, eyes open, his mind fully awake. The dream itself hadn't started out so bad, he had been walking along a beautiful path in what seemed to be a lush park, the air was warm and smelt of fresh flowers, one of which he recognized as tulips. In the distance he could hear children laughing and the song of some kind of bird he couldn't place.  
  
He stopped and sat down on a bench that had conveniently appeared (it was dream after all) and leaned against the warm wood, closing his eyes.  
  
"Hey there," a gentle voice said next to him, and he was not entirely surprised to find, when he opened his eyes, that Caitlin was sitting next to him. She was smiling at him, her red hair falling over her shoulders in gentle spirals. She wore an emerald green sundress, one that was a little too short and perhaps a little too tight in the right places. Once again, it was his dream after all.  
  
"Hey, what's up?" He asked casually, his eyes traveling up and down her form shamelessly.  
  
"Not much, the usual." She replied, a strap of the dress slipping down past her shoulder suggestively. She adjusted it and smiled at him, that lovely heart warming smile she had used to many times in life and asked if he would take a walk with her.  
  
The two stood and began to walk, their hands instinctively grasping one another's. Nate could feel the sun on his neck and the warmth of her hand in his, the intoxicating aroma of tulips emanating from all around them.  
  
He stole another glance at her and smiled, in life Caitlin Fairchild had been one of the most beautiful women he had ever met, but her beauty wasn't just because of her daunting height (a full 6 foot 4) or her voluptuous yet muscular body. Her beauty was her confidence, her strength, her loyalty and most of all her purity.  
  
He had been attracted to her of course, but she was an intelligent girl, smart, on his level even (something that made her even more attractive in his eyes, being one that values a good intellectual conversation) and she would have eventually found out more about him.  
  
And some of the less than ideal things he had done in his life. And truthfully Nate thought that she wouldn't have liked him so much in the end.  
  
So maybe it was better that she was gone.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked him as they passed under an apple tree.  
  
"Just thinking about you," he replied honestly, plucking one of the ripe fruits.  
  
"My aren't we smooth today," she said and giggled, he grinned at her and rolled the apple down his arm, flicking his wrist at the end as to make it hop from his arm to her. She caught it and smiled back at him.  
  
"So where are we going?" He asked, moving closer, slinging an arm around her smooth waist.  
  
"I want to show you something."  
  
"Oh yeah?"  
  
"Yeah," she said, her eyes gleaming mischievously.  
  
She led him further down into the park, their arms linked around each other's waists; their hips brushing against one another's as they walked together in the sun.  
  
They stopped when they came upon a playground, a few children ran around unattended to. There was a large slide; a few swings and a sandpit in which a small girl was playing in, her face dirty and her black hair tied back in short pigtails.  
  
Nate walked over to her and hunkered down, "whatcha doing honey?"  
  
She looked up and smiled brightly, her lips a shade of bright pink, "I'm drawing" she proclaimed simply.  
  
Nate nodded and looked into the dirt, in which she had drawn a large spiral; it's curves rolling on in a continuous loop forever and ever.  
  
"Nate c'mon! I need a push!" he heard Caitlin call, he took one last look at the little girl who was now curiously enough dressed in a school girl's uniform, a small golden cross hung around her neck.  
  
"There's that dirty old man streak," he mused to himself as he headed over to Caitlin, who was on one of he swings, kicking her legs anxiously. He reached her and began to push, she giggled excitedly and pumped her legs with the rhythm, her dress creeping up her thighs with each push. He smiled and pushed her harder, feeling the simplicity of the moment yet loving it just the same.  
  
She jumped off the swing just as it arced forward and for one moment it looked as if she were floating, her dress swirling about her waist, her 'unmentionables' in plain sight. She landed and stood, her face gleaming with joy, her hair tousled from the jump; she curled her finger at him in a suggestive 'c'mere' gesture.  
  
He walked over, a slightly roguish grin spreading across his face; when he reached her he wrapped his arms around her and she kissed him. Her lips were sweet and he dug his hands into her hair, kissing her harder, their tongues grazing against each other.  
  
The sun shone brightly against them and it felt as if it was just the two of them, illuminated against the dazzling light, their lips locked and their hands running up and down one another's firm bodies like cool water.  
  
She drew back, only to pull him roughly to the ground. Soft grass tickled the back of his neck as she almost feverishly kissed and touched him. He grinned as she climbed on top of him, straddling him.  
  
"A little dominant aren't we?" He teased playfully, his heart rate quickening.  
  
"A little," she admitted and laughed, the sound merry and melodious.  
  
He gazed up into her eyes, their sparkling green depths enthralling him, and he shivered despite the warmth. Something about them seemed so powerful. Her mouth worked against his as the two of them explored each other's bodies; she sat up, her body directly in front of the glowing sun and shook her hair smiling down upon him.  
  
Her mouth moved yet he couldn't hear her, could only see her almost angelic form before him and even that was beginning to fade against the gleaming rays of light.  
  
"Caitlin?" He tried to sit up, panicked, the light shone in his eyes and he squinted to see her, it was so bright. So bright.  
  
He awoke to the deafening scream of a silent explosion.  
  
***  
  
More than a few cities over Caitlin Fairchild awoke with a gasp, her body instinctively drawing itself up into attack mode, the result of which caused her to tangle her limbs in her sheets and fall not so gracefully to the floor.  
  
"Oooomph!"  
  
She lay there for a moment, tangled and twisted in her sheets; the sound of her harsh breathing slowing returning to normal.  
  
*That light.* Her mind mused, *and the girl, remember the girl Caitlin, above all else..*  
  
The door opened suddenly, spilling light into her room and startling her.  
  
"Miss Fairchild? Hello? You okay?"  
  
She laughed at herself and stood up, de-tangling herself from her covers, turned and regarded the two curious boys that now stood in her doorway.  
  
Ethan and Dylan York were twins, sons of Ellen and the late Michael York and were both students at Stanley Leiber High School at which she was the new Vice Principal and Student Affairs and Guidence of. Both were nice, fairly well behaved boys, and both were peering into her room at present time with the exact same expression of concern and alarm.  
  
She smiled and ran a hand through her slightly tangled hair, "Yes I'm fine, I must have had a bit of a nightmare or something. Thank you for your concern boys but I'm okay." She said, adjusting her nightgown, completely unaware of the two boy's gaping jaws or traveling eyes.  
  
She turned to them, composed and calm, "why don't you boys head back up to bed, it's late and you two have school in the morning." She smiled at them and they both blushed and hurriedly left, she shook her head and closed the door.  
  
Once back in bed she lay awake, the dream running over and over in her mind, she sighed and turned over onto her side.  
  
*Remember the girl..* her mind whispered as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
***  
  
"Did you see her in those jammies? Oh man, I don't think I'll be able to sleep at all tonight!" Dylan exclaimed to his brother as the two of them climbed back into their respective beds.  
  
Ethan grinned, "I know! She's a total bomb but don't you think it's kind of weird to be checking out our Vice Principal not to mention mom's tenant?"  
  
Dylan seemed to ponder this; he shook his head.  
  
"Nah!"  
  
The two boys laughed, trying to muffle it with their pillows as to not wake any of the other residents of the York house.  
  
"Hey, how old do you think she is?" Ethan asked, propping himself up on his elbow. His eyes were adjusting to the dark and he could see his brother in the bed next to his. On his back, his covers pulled up snugly under his armpits.  
  
"I dunno, not too old. Maybe like 24?"  
  
Ethan nodded; she didn't look older than that, especially her body! He blushed in the dark and turned onto his back, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about Miss Fairchild.  
  
His mother had put the ad out about a tenant at first for the fact that money was really tight but the larger reason being that she was working over-time, trying to keep an eye of her two twin boys as well as Samantha their little sister and the new baby Jenny. Caitlin was very helpful around the house and the two younger siblings loved her to death, the boys on the other hand felt a kind of awkwardness around her.  
  
It probably had to do with the fact that she looked like the type of woman every man would have wet dreams about, and it didn't help that her job was one of power and discipline. Chalk another point up on the old hormonal scale.  
  
However Ethan thought she was more than just mom's tenant or the new Vice Principal who always seemed to be saving their asses when Mr. Hammilton went on one his constant rages, she seemed to have this feeling of power, of protection, and most all she almost seemed to know what he was going through.  
  
*Caitlin.that was the name of the angel in my dream.*  
  
"You think she's into younger guys?" He heard his brother ask and he laughed quietly, turning over onto his side.  
  
"You wish Dyl-Dope."  
  
***  
  
Darkness surrounded her; she was alone, deep in her own subconscious. She could see distant images, floating off in and around the black fog; she reached out to one and found that it dissipated at her touch.  
  
Drip.  
  
The hollow sound echoed in the dark and she started towards it, each step taken slowly and cautiously on the dim trail. The once foggy images had faded and in return there were now voices, murmuring amongst the shadows, a drone of inconsistent words, strung together on a high frequency.  
  
Drip.  
  
She could see the liquid now, could see the steady drops that were pooling perfectly into a symmetrical circle. The voices were louder by the fluid, the pitch raising itself to an almost level and she clamped her hands to her ears in a desperate yet futile attempt to block them out. The volume rose, screeching whispers that sounded like glass being chewed.  
  
Drip.  
  
A fresh drop of liquid splashed into the puddle and she gasped, noticing that the liquid was not clear like water but rather, was red, a dark crimson.  
  
Blood.  
  
She looked up, terrified yet morbidly curious to find the source.  
  
At first she could see nothing, only the dense fog of her mind and then it cleared.  
  
"Oh god." She whispered.  
  
It was a body, hers in fact, split open from neck to groin. Her rib cage had been cracked open like a rusty drawbridge, her lungs and heart missing. The rest of her innards hung out, her intestines spiraling down towards her like some sort of sick worn out spring. Blood oozed down and off of them, sending delicate drops down onto the earth.  
  
The voices stopped and silence hung in the air like an angry ghost, her mind reeled, her gut clenching with fear.  
  
She looked up once more into her own dead face and saw that the eyes were open, glowing fierce red embers in the dark. Her twin opened its mouth and blood spurted out, splashing her, coating her. She gagged and tried to wipe off the sticky sweet liquid, it was then that she heard it.  
  
A gurgling, almost rasping sound, like a voice that was choking on its own words. She looked up and saw that her body was now grinning down at her, the red eyes blazing.  
  
"YOU WILL BE JUDGED."  
  
She opened her mouth and screamed.  
  
***  
  
End Part 1 


	2. Mmmm BBQ

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me; I'm just using them for fun.  
This is How the Story Begins, Part 2  
By starched_undergarments  
"Nate, hey Naaaate!"  
  
He could hear someone calling him, a familiar voice off in the distance, he turned over onto his side and buried his head under his pillows, trying to ignore the voice, wanting to drift back to sleep.  
  
"Naaaaaaaaaate!! Natenatenatenate!!"  
  
Defeated he opened one eye and found Leslie peering down at him, she was fully dressed and had her hair pushed back prettily.  
  
"Mmmmfrrmmble." He sleep-mumbled and she smiled, shaking his shoulder playfully.  
  
"Wake up sleepy head! It's almost noon!"  
  
He groaned and sank further into his bed, not wanting to get up. He had only fallen asleep a few hours ago, spending most of the night pondering his nightmare. She poked at him a few more times before pouncing on top on him.  
  
"Up and add 'am Captain!" She cheered, bouncing on his rib cage.  
  
"All right, all-ugh!" He sat up, shaking his head disapprovingly, she grinned and sat on his bed watching him curiously as he slid out of bed and stretched.  
  
He turned and regarded her over the brim of his glasses, one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Are you just going to sit there while I undress or are you going to am'scray little girl."  
The afternoon that followed was fairly uneventful, Leslie and Sadie went out for ice cream and Tommy spent most of the day down at the beach picking up 'hot, nubile chickees', which left Nate alone in the house with his work.  
  
Around dinnertime the gang came home with Chinese food only to find Nate stationed on the couch, sipping tea, while watching the news.  
  
"Hey Captain," Sadie called as she stepped out of her Gucci heels, "have a nice relaxing day?"  
  
He nodded and got up, getting plates out and preparing to serve up the steaming hot food.  
  
"Very much so, and I trust all of your afternoon's were pleasant as well?"  
  
Tommy grinned and spooned himself a heaping pile of chow mein, "I managed to score some hottie's number, Bonus!!"  
  
Sadie rolled her eyes at Leslie who giggled but then stopped, her brows knitting together in a line of concern.  
  
"Nate?" She asked, staring at the sudden blank and almost fearful expression on their usually completely composed captain.  
  
She followed his blank gaze to the television screen, where the evening news played.  
  
"..the local ceremony will take place sometime next week at St. Michael's Church and School for Girls, and as all the preparations take place the residents had this to say.."  
  
"We have to go." He said, grabbing his coat and heading for the door.  
  
***  
  
Ethan was, as far as he could tell, screwed beyond all belief. He sat with his back against the school's office wall, his mouth set in a grimace of disbelief.  
  
He couldn't believe that Mr. Hammilton was blaming him for the cherry bomb in the girl's bathroom, slouching further against the wall he thought about how his mother would react to this accusation.  
  
The door opened and Mr. Hammilton stepped out, a frustrated and almost disappointed look on his face, behind him was Miss Fairchild.  
  
He held back a grin and knew what had happened, she had, once again saved his ass.  
  
"Well," Mr. Hammilton said a little disgruntled, "it seems I've been mistaken, you're off the hook this time Mr. York."  
  
He strode past Ethan with a scowl and went off towards his office, Caitlin paused then shook her head.  
  
"Man, has he ever got it in for you!"  
  
He turned and smiled up at her, "Yeah.hey thanks for.you know."  
  
She smiled back and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Anytime."  
  
***  
  
Smoke streamed its way up to heaven in graceful waves; she watched it with moody apprehension. She inhaled on the cigarette and favored the soothing taste as well as the nasty glares she was getting from the other girls in the lunchroom.  
  
It was lunchtime and like always she sat alone, towards the back; it had always been like this, she was an outsider, unwelcome, and not wanted.  
  
Not that she cared or anything.  
  
A group of girls walked by, intentionally snubbing her, making snide remarks behind their hands and snickering. She took one last drag and stubbed the cigarette out, exhaling the last bit of smoke in rings of defiance.  
  
With a sharp glance around she grabbed her bag and began to stride towards the doors, not noticing as one the nastier girls stretched her foot out directly in her path.  
  
She fell hard, bashing her chin on the floor, making her teeth clank together. She heard laughter and her anger begin to boil.  
  
"Awww did the school tramp take a little spill? Don't worry, I'm sure your fat ass cushioned the fall."  
  
Furious and hurt she whirled around and faced the group of girls responsible, her mouth set in a snarl.  
  
"You are so dead Rachelle."  
  
The fight was on.  
  
***  
  
"Oh gy mod," Leslie choked out, staring in disbelief at what was before her; school girls, dozens of them, in little pleated skirts and white socks.  
  
"Right on!" Tommy yelled from the back of Nate's black convertible as the cruised by the outside of St. Michael's School for girls.  
  
"Catholic School Girls!!"  
  
Leslie continued to stare, "Oh Captain, you really are a dirty old man.."  
  
Nate stopped the car and turned around, regarding them seriously.  
  
"Tommy you stay here, keep the car running and be ready to go when we get back. Leslie, Sadie, you guys come with me."  
  
The girls got out, giving their leader a questionable look as they walked towards the towering iron gates that held the poor girls of St. Michael's like a holy prison.  
  
"Look Nate if this is your way of picking up underage girls then go ahead but why do we have to come?" Sadie asked, annoyed.  
  
Nate ignored her and grasped the iron gates and pulled, spreading them apart easily and walking casually through.  
  
"Captain!" Leslie said, worried at the sudden seriousness of this bizarre scenario. "What's going on?"  
  
"We're here to pick up a Gen-active," he said, surveying the area with expertise eyes. "And from the looks of it, we'll find her over there."  
  
Leslie turned and looked towards what seemed to be the cafeteria, where apparently all Hell had broken loose.  
  
The three ran over, and as they dodged debris and scared schoolgirls Leslie couldn't help but have a sudden wave of deja-veu, the feeling like she had seen this kind of manifestation before.  
  
Nate booted the doors open and dodged a flying table, Leslie screamed and stepped to one side as it bounced and then broke, she turned and stopped dead in her track, spying the Gen-active.  
  
"Oh my god, " she whispered, her eyes going wide.  
  
"It's Roxy!!"  
  
***  
  
At first it had just been your regular cat-fight, hair pulling, nail scratching, name calling, but when Rachelle had gone one step further and drew blood Roxanne Spaulding let loose. She screamed, punched, kicked, spat, and she even, although she didn't notice, began to tap into her dormant Gen-active powers.  
  
The other girls had freaked, taking off as soon as tables and chairs began to float and crash about the room, and at first Roxy had felt the thrill of triumph but one quick look around and it all crashed. See the thing about Gen-active powers is that it's easy to start them, getting them to stop however is a whole different story.  
  
"Oh my god, Roxy?!"  
  
She turned and saw a young blonde girl coming towards her, her face frozen in an expression of disbelief.  
  
"Roxy?!"  
  
Pain.  
  
Sudden, intense, crippling pain flashed in her mind and she was rocked backwards by it, her mind screaming as she fell to the floor, clawing at her head. Images flooded her mind, bright flashes of events that were hers, yet not.  
  
Friends Family Love Hate Life Death  
  
Nate took a step back as Roxy writhed on the floor, screaming out in pain, her powers flooding the room as well as outside. He turned and saw that cars, hell even parts of the church itself were being uprooted and tossed around by the awesome force of gravity gone wild.  
  
"Oh shit," he murmured and looked back at her.  
  
Her eyes were wide, tears streamed down her cheeks while blood oozed out of her nose, and still she screamed.  
  
Because her mind was literally tearing itself apart.  
  
***  
  
When Ethan and Dylan arrived home from after school (and after a quick stop at the arcade of course) they found Miss Fairchild had beaten them and was already preparing dinner.  
  
She had changed out of her usual suit and was now in a pair of faded jeans and a tank top; she smiled warmly and greeted the boys, informing them that their mother had been called into work.  
  
"I hope you guys don't mind spaghetti for dinner," she said giving the boiling pot of noodles a stir.  
  
"Nope, we all like it, especially ol Jenny Penny here," he said tickling the babies chin, "she just loves to get it everywhere but her mouth."  
  
Caitlin laughed and moved to slice the garlic bread, pausing suddenly, her hands flying up to her temples.  
  
"The girl." She managed to breathe before she collapsed to the ground, her body clenching up in pain, a silent scream emanating from her open mouth.  
  
"Miss Fairchild!" Ethan rushed over to her, knocking his chair over in the process. He grabbed shoulders and tried to steady her, shouting at his brother to get the baby out of the room and to keep their younger sister away.  
  
"-but?"  
  
"Do it!" He barked, his mind whirling.  
  
She was strong, too strong really but somehow he managed to hold onto her, panic rose in his mind and he shoved it away, trying desperately to focus.  
  
"Oh god, do something!" His mind shouted at him and he did what was only natural. Drawing upon his new and slightly scary powers he reached backwards to the burning hot element, using it's flame as a catalyst he sent a wave of light into Miss Fairchild's body.  
  
There was a brief flash and then nothing.  
  
It had worked; she lay still, her breathing slowly returning to normal. After a few moments her eyes blinked, their usual clarity returning.  
  
She sat up and Ethan breathed a sigh of relief, he helped her stand, supporting some of her weight.  
  
"What the hell was that?" He asked and she steadied herself, her brows knitted together in contemplation.  
  
"I don't know, but I think I need to be somewhere."  
  
***  
  
At the same time that Caitlin Fairchild was making dinner Nate, or Captain Bitterness was starting to believe that he and his friends were royally fucked.  
  
Upon spotting Leslie, Roxanne had gone completely nuts, her powers raging out of control. Sending tables, chairs, bags, books, cars, and parts of the building flying everywhere.  
  
"Nate what's wrong with her?" Leslie yelled to him over the noise, bracing them against the chaos with an energy shield.  
  
"When she saw you she must have remembered what happened to her," he shouted back, "and I think it's destroying her mind."  
  
Then it stopped.  
  
As suddenly as it had begun it stopped, Roxy's scream tapering off as she collapsed to the ground unconscious. Leslie took down her field cautiously as Nate walked calmly over to their old friend and scooped her up into his arms.  
  
"My god," Leslie murmured as she looked around at the damage, to say the least there was not much left of St. Michael's.  
  
"Is she okay?" She asked, peering at Roxy's now serene and sleeping face.  
  
"I don't think so," Nate mused and started for the car, the girls hurried along side him.  
  
"How can she still be alive?" Sadie asked, stepping over some rubble.  
  
"Maybe we when we used the Energy Transmission Nullifier it created more than just the Gen-factor Construct, maybe it."  
  
"Maybe it was God." Leslie interrupted, her face solemn and serious. Nate snorted, and Sadie put a hand of Leslie's small shoulder.  
  
"Well it doesn't matter how she' here, just that she's alive and well."  
  
Nate set her gently in the back of the car, eyes grave.  
  
"I'm not so sure of that."  
  
***  
  
Several hours later, as Caitlin Fairchild stepped off the plane and into the all too familiar blast of La Jolla's hot and humid weather, she couldn't help but feel like she was coming home.  
  
"So many things happened to us here," She mused, hailing a cab. She got in and leaned against the sweaty ripped seats, she closed her eyes, trying hard to focus on the throbbing feeling of the psionic imprint that she had been able to trace.  
  
The cabby eyed her suspiciously but when she passed him a fifty he started the cab and swerved out into traffic, not questioning her.  
  
"Roxanne." She whispered softly.  
  
***  
  
"Roxanne," a voice called and she stirred, her amethyst eyes fluttering.  
  
"Roxanne."  
  
Finally she came to, her eyes slowly opening upon the sight of a handsome Asian man at her side, she, as far she could tell was laying on a black leather couch in said man's living room.  
  
"Where the hell?" She started and then winced as a bolt of pain shot through her mind.  
  
"Nate?" She asked, her mind swirling with lost images.  
  
"Yes," he answered, helping her up into a sitting position.  
  
"I know you don't I?"  
  
"Yes. Do you remember?"  
  
She shook her head and then winced once more, "Yes.no. I mean yes."  
  
Nate stroked her hair and handed her a glass of water, "Don't force it. Just relax, you're safe, we're going to try and help you any way we can."  
  
She smiled gratefully and he handed her the T.V. remote and left her to relax, heading into the kitchen to converse with the rest of his team.  
  
"This is too bizarro," Leslie muttered as she chewed on her thumbnail, "So does she remember us or what?"  
  
"Yes and no," Nate explained, "I think what we have here is a case of memory over-lap, she remembers two lives. The one she has now and the one we knew her in, the problem is that unless she settles on one her mind will break and she'll most likely go insane."  
  
"Like she did before?" Leslie peeped, her eyes going wide.  
  
"Worse."  
  
Sadie shook her head, "I don't get it though, why did she stop before? What happened?"  
  
"Perhaps I can help explain that." A voice said and Caitlin Fairchild stepped into the room.  
  
***  
  
End Part 2 


	3. Bobby is so fun to write

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, but I'm using them to tell a story.  
  
Author Notes: a HUGE thank you for the people who reviewed this, it gives me squishy feelings that you are not only reading it but enjoying it so far. EEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  
  
This is How the Story Begins, Part 3  
By starched_undergarments  
***  
  
Robert Lane was, in his opinion, going insane.  
  
And not your typical diaper wearing, nonsense-spouting, smelly-freak kind of insane either, oh no, he was going insane in the 'my mind is tearing itself a new ass-hole!' kind of way.  
  
It had all started last night, he had been at work, debating weather or not he should throw himself into the deep-fryer rather then continue working at 'Pirate Pete's Lunch Hut' when he had the first tickle of deja-veu.  
  
"Probably nothing," he told himself, chalking it up to lack of sleep, he had in fact, not been sleeping too great lately. His dreams filled with terrible images and noises that made him shiver.  
  
"Maybe I'll have a better night tonight," he thought and poked at the dopey parrot that sat on his, not to mention all the other staffs, shoulder.  
  
And then it hit.  
  
A sudden wave of confusion followed by hot, liquid pain that coursed through his veins, he fell backwards and slammed against the freezer, his back arching and his mind screaming. He heard people yelling, could see co-workers panicking, yet all his mind could do was freeze with pain, his mouth opening and a scream wrenching itself from his throat.  
  
And then it had stopped, all at once and then we was embraced by darkness.  
  
When he awoke he found himself on the floor with paramedics surrounding him, he could feel blood trickling across his face yet couldn't remember cutting himself.  
  
"Are you all right son?" One of the uniformed men asked and Bobby could only stare blankly at him.  
  
They had sent him home obviously, which is where he was now, and at first he thought that the worst had passed, that it had simply been a lump of fat sizzling on his brain.  
  
Then the voices started.  
  
Soft murmurs in the dark regions of his mind, telling him things that he knew weren't true, yet were, having an ongoing argument in the back of his head.  
  
"You knew a girl once, cute, peppy, her name was Roxanne."  
  
"No I didn't."  
  
"Yes you did, you had the hots for her."  
  
"No."  
  
"You wore tights."  
  
"No I've never done ballet thank you."  
  
"You had friends, good ones. They died, you died."  
  
"No I didn't."  
  
"Did."  
  
"Didn't"  
  
"Did."  
  
"Didn't"  
  
.....  
  
"You can fly."  
  
"Oh god." Bobby moaned and rolled over.  
  
***  
  
"Huh," Nate mused fingering his mug of tea, twirling it slowly on the kitchen table.  
  
"So you're saying that after this boy, Ethan, used his gen-power to heal the gap in your mind you left and followed Roxanne's psi-print from New York all the way here? That's one hell of a strong bond."  
  
Caitlin nodded and poured herself another cup of tea from the steaming pot, "Well we are sisters."  
  
"You remember then?"  
  
She nodded and looked up into Nate's contemplative eyes.  
  
"But Roxy doesn't, or half doesn't. Do you have any ideas on how this happened? What do you remember last?"  
  
"I remember everything up until the Gen-Bomb detonation, I remember the fear I felt and then nothing."  
  
"Nothing?"  
  
"Just.well light, a bright blinding light, then I was back."  
  
"Hrmm." Nate's eyes narrowed, "this is quite interesting.perhaps."  
  
"What?" Caitlin probed, leaning forward.  
  
"Perhaps it was you, perhaps while you were the Gen-Active Construct, or God with a little g you still had some sort of collective mind. Perhaps you split apart the Gen-Active Energy back into the original forms."  
  
"Since energy can't be destroyed, it only changes form!" Caitlin interrupted, her face lighting up.  
  
"Exactly! So breaking then Gen-Active Forces back up you must have some how re-created bodies, shells if you will, to holster it."  
  
"But what about the memories? The fact that Roxy seems just the same? What about her soul?" Leslie questioned, entering the kitchen with a glass of water.  
  
Nate snorted, "her soul?" He shook his head and regarded her with cool eyes.  
  
"There is no such thing as a soul."  
  
Leslie stood defensively, her hands on her hips.  
  
"Prove it."  
  
"Oh for the love of.."  
  
"Hey," a voice said softly, and then all turned, Roxy stood in the doorway, holding her head and looking troubled.  
  
"I don't think it's quite over yet."  
  
***  
  
Things had gone from crap-happy, to shitty and now to utter ass fucking horrible, the once soft voices that had whispered to Robert Lane were now yelling back and forth, like the clanging of angry church bells.  
  
DEAD ALIVE NO YES  
  
It went on and on, the only peace he found was when he was either on the toilet or asleep, and at this point he was starting to devise a way in which he could spend all day on the can.  
  
"Maybe if I eat a ton of prunes." he muttered and popped another Aspirin, which didn't silence the voices but at least helped take the edge off the splintering headache he had had for three days now.  
  
"Shut up," he groaned, rolling over onto his other side, "Please just shut up and go away."  
  
NO YES NO DID DIDN'T  
  
He began to cry then, a pitiful whimpering sound as he cradled himself, longing for someone to hold him, or at least put him out of his misery. He didn't know how much more of it he could take, the cheap fabrics of his mind were slowly tearing apart.  
  
And still the voices sounded.  
  
***  
  
"What do you mean Roxy?" Caitlin asked, rushing to her sister's side and steadying her.  
  
"Something's not right," she struggled, her eyes shutting, "I.I think it's Bobby." She winced at the mention of his name, memories igniting within her mind.  
  
"What about him?" Nate asked, setting his cup into the kitchen sink, Leslie looked up, eyes wide and concerned.  
  
"He's back too, and he felt what we did.and I don't think he's handling too well."  
  
Nate nodded and ignored Leslie's worried look, Caitlin grabbed her coat and wallet.  
  
"Of course! He's always been connected to us, all of us. Remember when Baby Luv kidnapped us Roxy? He was able to pin-point where we were and found us by using the psi-link."  
  
Nate leaned against the counter and raised an eyebrow, "Baby Luv?"  
  
"And if we find Bobby," she continued, ignoring Nate, "then we'll be able to find the others!" She grabbed Nate's car keys and tossed them to him.  
  
He smiled and shook his head, "guess we have no choice but to come along. C'mon kids, lets ride."  
  
***  
  
In his current position Robert Lane could see two things, the rim of the bathtub and the shower curtain, normal everyday things, yet today they seemed skewed. The tub was starting to look like a giant white mouth, swallowing him whole, and the curtain had become a long plastic road that lead to heaven.  
  
He knew was insane now, he had to be, no sane person hears voices, or wakes up on fire.  
  
Fire for Christ's Sake!  
  
He shifted in the tub and his squeaked against the sides, he was freezing yet was afraid to get out in fear of lighting on fire again.  
  
It had happened five hours ago, he had fallen asleep on the floor, finally dropping off due to exhaustion. He had dreamed then, horrible and twisted dreams, filled with blood and a booming voice telling him he would be 'judged'. Naturally he awoke with a start, cold sweat covering his body, and then fire.  
  
Foom.  
  
Just like that.  
  
He had screamed and tried to smother the flames, ripping off the nearby blanket that lay on the couch, finally he panicked and ran for the bathroom, scurrying into the shower and cranking it to ice cold. The flames died and Bobby collapsed, sinking to his knees, now naked, shivering with fear.  
  
He now lay in the tub, a small pool of cold water surrounding him; he shivered and wondered absently if he had made a burn hole in the carpet where he had lain.  
  
"My landlady is gonna kill me if I did." he thought and shut his eyes, mentally slapping himself for thinking about something so ridiculous.  
  
"You've spontaneously combusted yet are fine physically and all you can think about is your damage deposit?? How stupid are you?"  
  
He reached over and pulled on the tab once more, allowing the tub to fill up a little more. If the water didn't extinguish the flames then hey, he could always drown himself.  
  
***  
  
Once they were all seated on the plane Caitlin twisted around in her seat and looked at her little sister, her eyes were troubled and clouded with concern. She gave her an encouraging smile and Roxy smiled back and then made herself at home on Tommy's shoulder, trying to use it as a pillow.  
  
They had been able with Roxy's link and Leslie's boosting powers, to pinpoint where Bobby was and were on their way there now.  
  
Chewing on her thumbnail Caitlin hoped he would be all right, she also hoped that her pet theory would be right, that once all the team members were back together the gap in their minds would heal and their full memories would return.  
  
She hadn't let on to anyone how much she had missed her 'family' these past few months, and now that they were almost all back together she didn't know if she could stand the suspense.  
  
A gloved hand gently took her hand away from her mouth; she turned, surprised, and found Nate smiling at her.  
  
"That's a nasty habit." He scolded, and she laughed, resting her hand back on the arm rest.  
  
"I know, I can't help it though. I do it when I'm nervous."  
  
"Don't worry, it'll all work out fine." He said, patting her hand.  
  
She smiled, "You really think so?"  
  
"Sure why not, I mean you guys have already died so fortune's gotta be going your way by law of averages."  
  
"Yeah?" She asked, grinning.  
  
He grinned back at her and held her hand gently.  
  
"Yeah." He replied softly, his eyes looking into hers.  
  
Their hands didn't release until they landed safely in Idaho.  
  
***  
  
The apartment building was small and had a slightly 70's feel to the decorating, the lobby a festive arrangement of quirky patterns that all clashed horribly with one another, Nate held the door open while the others entered, Roxy leading the way.  
  
"He's down the hall and to the right," she muttered, her cute face screwed up into a look of almost painful concentration. They filled down the hall silently, ignoring the weird looks they got from the few old ladies who passed them on their way to the laundry room.  
  
"This one," Roxy pointed and Caitlin tried the door, and to all of their surprise, found it unlocked.  
  
They stepped gingerly inside, the apartment was small and smelled slightly of incense, pot, and dried fruit. Caitlin paused and motioned for them to halt, she cocked her head and the others listened.  
  
Then they heard it, a soft, echo of a voice that was singing to itself, the lyrics tumbling into place with an almost humorous quality.  
  
Roxy stepped forward and gave Caitlin a look that said, 'what the hell?' and then called out.  
  
"Bobby?"  
  
The singing stopped and they heard water slosh, as if someone was sitting up in the tub, "Yeah?" Came the oddly calm and almost comical reply.  
  
"I'm in the tub!" The voice called, almost annoyed. Roxy stifled a giggle and moved towards the bathroom, peering cautiously.  
  
She peered into the bathroom and found him, naked, sitting in a tub full of ice cold water, shivering.  
  
"Hi." He said, his teeth clacking together.  
  
"Hi." She replied and grinned; he smiled back and waved.  
  
"My god," she thought to herself, "how long has he been in there?!"  
  
"About ten hours now," he replied shaking.  
  
"What?"  
  
"What?"  
  
She shook her head and looked at him curiously, "I.I didn't say that out loud."  
  
He frowned, his blue eyes clouded with sudden concern. He held his head and grimaced, "I'm sorry." He said calmly, "I must be even more insane than I thought."  
  
She grabbed a nearby towel and held it out to him, "C'mon, out ya come."  
  
He shook his head and clutched at himself, "I can't. I'll burn." He stated simply.  
  
Roxy kneeled down next to the tub and patted his shoulder gently, "No you won't, Mamma Freefall won't let you."  
  
"Promise?" He asked, his eyes large and almost childlike.  
  
She smiled and gave him a small wink, "I promise."  
  
***  
  
End Part 3 


	4. mmmm dark meat

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, and I am not making any profit off of this. It's just for fun.  
  
Author Notes: Urmmm thanks to the people who reviewed, hope you keep reading.  
  
This is How the Story Begins, Part 4  
  
By Kitten Moo  
  
***  
  
It was hot, sweltering actually, even in his dream he could feel the humidity and pounding heat. His chest was bare, something that only happened in dreams, and he was walking through what seemed to be the desert, the sun bleached wind slapping at his skin.  
  
It wasn't just hot, there also seemed to be some kind of electrical current on the wind that caused his skin to tingle and his muscles throb uncomfortably.  
  
Nate walked forward for a while until he noticed a familiar form on the horizon; it was Caitlin, her white nightgown flowing about her gracefully on the desert wind.  
  
"Hey," he said casually and came over to her, she was facing east, her eyes troubled.  
  
"What is this?"  
  
"A dream."  
  
"But we're both having it."  
  
"Yes, like before."  
  
They stood in silence for a moment as wild coyotes howled in the distance, the sound of their lonely choir traveling to them on the hot breeze.  
  
"It's strange," she said at last and he nodded, moving closer to her.  
  
"My skin feels like it's been charged, electric almost." She said and raised her arm up as if to inspect it, Nate trailed a finger loosely down her arm and was not entirely surprised to find that tiny blue sparks flew up along the way.  
  
She reached behind and lightly touched his neck, watching with calm eyes as the small spray of electricity popped, he could feel it coming off his neck, a wave of arousal suddenly filled him as she tickled the back of his neck with her hands.  
  
His hand meanwhile traveled up her arm and across her chest, slowly dragging his fingers across her breastbone and she sighed and closed her eyes, her own hands moving down his chest, feeling the electric waves between them.  
  
Nate felt his own eyes close and felt his way across her body, his skin sweating against hers as the two stood pressed together in the blasting heat, he moved instinctively, his hands running up and down her firm body, and she moaned.  
  
Images of sex flashed before him, sweating bodies pressed together in an almost feverish display of carnal desire.  
  
Lust  
  
Sex  
  
Pain  
  
Blood  
  
He gasped and pressed harder against Caitlin, she in turn made a low growling noise in her throat and groped at him.  
  
Sex  
  
Blood  
  
Violence  
  
His hands weren't his own anymore, moving on their own, pressing harder as he almost violently fondled her. His mind was a blur of images, images of fucking her, pounding into her was a pair of red eyes watched in the dark wind.  
  
"No!" He shouted and pushed himself away at the same time she collapsed to the ground, tears spilling from her eyes.  
  
"Oh.oh god," she moaned and buried her face in her hands, "What's wrong with us?!"  
  
He coughed, then spat, trying to clear his head.  
  
"Nate.I.." She began but broke off when she heard the scream.  
  
They both looked up in time to see a beautiful half wolf, half human girl be raised up in the sky on a whirlwind, her dark hair flying about her face dramatically. She screamed again, the sound of it a howl of pain and torment, and went limp as a pair of red eyes glowed maliciously out at them behind the darkness.  
  
Nate awoke then, his body jerking violently when the door to his hotel room crashed open. Caitlin came in, her face a mask of panic and fear.  
  
"Sarah!" They both said and went to wake the others.  
  
***  
  
Roxanne stifled a yawn and settled back into the uncomfortable airplane seats, she had been sleeping peacefully when her sister had crashed into the room and woke her; apparently they had their next lead on the other members of Gen13.  
  
They were on route now to the Nevada Desert, both teams groggy and disoriented, except for Caitlin and Nate, who in fact seemed to be acting a little odd, especially to one another.  
  
"It's because of the dream." Bobby said from his position next to her, she looked curiously at him and he shrugged and popped another aspirin.  
  
"Don't ask." He said and she patted his hand, out of all of them Bobby looked the worst. While the memory overlap was mildly uncomfortable for Caitlin and Roxy it was having an awful effect on Bobby, his eyes were rimmed with dark circles and he flinched almost every few minutes as his brain struggled to fight against the parade of conflicting memories.  
  
"How you doing Bobby-baby?" She asked and he smiled weakly at her.  
  
"Horrible, but I'll be fine. No problem man."  
  
She smiled back and gestured at the rest of their friends, "This is pretty bizzaro huh? This whole, dead, not dead thing."  
  
He nodded, "Yeah it pretty much sucks the big one."  
  
She giggled and looked out the window, watching as morning clouds drifted past them.  
  
"You look good." She heard him say softly, and she turned back to him, his eyes were clear and it almost made him look normal again, made him look strong.  
  
He blushed and shrugged, "You know, for a supposed dead girl." He stammered and looked away.  
  
Roxy smiled and wondered for the first time, if maybe she was being given another chance for a reason.  
  
***  
  
Hours later the plane landed and both teams were hit with the blasting heat of the desert winds, Sadie had no problem, being able to transfer the discomfort but the others were less fortunate.  
  
"Day-um! It's freakin' sweltering!" Tommy complained and stuck his tongue out much like a dog, Leslie nodded and fanned herself uncomfortably.  
  
"Stop your complaining kiddies or you'll get no dinner tonight," Nate mused and surveyed the area, Caitlin looked at him and he nodded, she turned around and regarded Bobby seriously.  
  
"Bobby?" She asked him, noticing that once again he was chewing on aspirin, she wondered briefly if that was wise but dismissed it.  
  
"We need you to try and re-connect with Sarah, do you think you can do that?"  
  
He looked at her and for one moment she could see him struggling with his fears, his own mind, yet finally he nodded and sat down on the ground, his face already screwing up into a position of concentration.  
  
"So I guess after this we go and grab the Grunge-man eh?" Tommy asked and Nate shushed him.  
  
Minutes passed and nobody said anything, all eyes were on Bobby as he tried to telepathically reach out for the fourth member of their team, the intense temperature stuck to them like bad memories and Caitlin couldn't help remember her dream from last night, the air felt disturbingly similar.  
  
She shuddered and rubbed her arms, not entirely surprised to find goose bumps there.  
  
Nate looked at her out of the corner of his eye and felt a pang of shame, and guilt, which disturbed him, since he hadn't felt anything like it for a very long time now.  
  
"Something's wrong," Bobby said suddenly, "Something is very wrong here."  
  
Caitlin kneeled down next to him and put a hand of his shoulder, steadying him, "What do you mean?" She asked and Bobby opened his eyes.  
  
"Something's here." He said, his eyes full of alarm and dread.  
  
"Something evil."  
  
***  
  
Somewhere, deep within a cold and forgotten Nevada cave a decidedly wicked chuckle sounded, its low and ominous sound reverberating against the dry walls as a pair of red eyes glowed maliciously out from the darkness.  
  
End Part 4 


End file.
